I can’t begin to tally up the number of pages I’ve read over the last two decades on the role of the church in engaging culture. Over the last two thousand years we’ve seen times when the church got it right. But it seems that we’ve seen even more times when the church got it so wrong.
If I’m being honest, I find myself in a tired and perhaps complacent state when it comes to this topic. But it’s been back on my radar for a couple of weeks since I was asked to write on it. And during that time I’ve had some new thoughts.
I so appreciate the fact that we’ve used this word “engage” over the many other words that are used. Throughout the years the church has critiqued culture, condemned culture, and tried to influence culture. I like the word “engage” because it simply means to be involved in, or to participate in. It starts with just showing up. And it leads me to believe that our calling to engage culture is more simple than we’ve thought.
I have been reading Joseph’s story in the book of Genesis. Here is a guy who did not choose to go to Egypt. It was an act of injustice and cruelty that led him there at a young age. If you’re unfamiliar with a story, his brothers were jealous of him, in part due to his foolish pride:
Hey brothers. You want to hear about the dream I had last night? It ended with all of you bowing down to me. How cool is that!
Not cool at all Joseph!
Joseph’s brothers were tired of his foolish pride, and they were tired of him. They wanted to kill him, but fortunately cooler heads prevailed, and so instead, they just sold him to some slave traders. Sure, it’s better than being killed, but still!
So Joseph finds himself in Egypt. What does he do? He seeks to serve pharaoh the best that he can. And God blesses his efforts. Through the years he does such a good job that he goes from a slave, to a servant, and finally to the number two in all of Egypt.
It is here that he encounters his brothers once again. A famine has impacted that part of the world, and everyone is coming to Egypt because they are the one place that has grain. This is due to Joseph’s work. His brothers come to Egypt to get grain. Many years have passed and they don’t recognize him. However, he knows who they are. And for a little while he messes with them.
And you know you would mess with them too. But then he reveals who he is and he takes care of them. The reason I bring up the story in a blog post on engaging culture is because I was floored by Pharaoh’s response to all of this. In Genesis 45:19-20 he says to Joseph, “You are also directed to tell them, “Do this: take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.”
Pharaoh isn’t simply a generous ruler. He doesn’t know these people. He does this because he loves and respects Joseph. Joseph has saved countless lives over these last few years and Pharaoh wants to return the favor.
Joseph, who began his time in Egypt as a slave, has given us a great example of what it looks like to engage culture. He would’ve never chosen the circumstances. He has seen injustice done to him time and time again. But he’s continued to be faithful. There’s something here for each one of us.
From this story fast forward around a thousand years, to when God‘s people were defeated by Babylon. When the best and brightest were carried as exiles back to Babylon, they had a choice to make. Would they sulk? Would they fight? Would they simply integrate and become Babylonians, or would they choose a different route?
Jeremiah encouraged them to take a different route. And it was a simple route. Here’s what he told them:
Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
What a simple yet profound strategy for engaging culture!
Here’s how I would summarize it…
Be faithful to God in whatever circumstance you’ve been placed.
Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Be curious as to what God might want to do through you.
Over and over again we see ordinary people living their lives in simple yet faithful ways who impact society in powerful ways.
I’ll close with one more verse that I love. It’s 1 Peter 3:15. Here’s what it says…
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
I love this verse because it implies that a question is being asked, and today, the only reason a question is asked is because you are living the sort of life that begs a question. That’s what Joseph was doing. It’s what Jeremiah encouraged the exiles to do. It’s definitely what Jesus did. And it’s what we’re invited to do today as well.
-Robert Grisham
Learn more about Engage Culture.